Hello Preppers!

I’m really excited about this week’s blog! Today I get to share with you a list of items you should always have in your vehicle no matter the season.

You’re getting a sneak peak into what I have in my vehicle at all times.

Maybe you don’t want or need to get everything I’m about to share, but the majority of what is listed will be useful to have on hand should the situation call for it.

Before we jump right in, I want to encourage you to take a look at what you have in your vehicle already. Maybe, if you’re like me and love road trips, you’ve already put together a small emergency kit for those long drives. Or you have items on hand since the C-that-must-not-be-named in order to stay safe and sanitary.

Whatever you have, I encourage you to make a list and create a new one of what items you’re missing.

Like I said before, you don’t need everything here. I used to call myself a “Just-in-case-er.” Making sure I’m ready for anything “just in case” ever since high school.

So….becoming a prepper happened naturally for me…

Anywho! Let’s get started!

Here is what I have in my vehicle at all times:

• Map
• Tools
• Blankets & Coveralls
• Jumper Cables
• First Aid
• Sanitary Items
• Fun Items
• Emergency Ponchos
• Tie-Down Straps and/or Bungee Chords

Not shown: Get Home Bag, Water Filter, MSR foldable stove & fuel, and feminine products.
Honestly, I’m not a fan of showing off feminine products in posts like these because, to me, they’re personal. Call me old-fashioned if you want. Eventually I’ll create a post specifically geared towards women’s products but to quote my favorite fictional Ranger, “It is not this day!”

If you’ve seen other Vehicle Kit lists, you probably noticed that I did not add bottled water.

In my personal opinion, I don’t like the idea of keeping plastic bottles of water in my vehicle unless I’m on a road trip or out camping. I’m used to the Texas heat and I’ve heard about the chemicals from the plastic infiltrating the good water inside and I’d rather not take the risk.

Instead, I have a Sawyer Water Filtration System along with a large stainless steel bottle to store the filtered water.

Lemme Break It Down

Tools:

Coveralls –I wore these every night after work this past winter! But I keep them in my vehicle year round because if something happened on the road, I’d rather not get dirt and grease all over my clean clothes.

Lug Wrench –This is the kind I bought at Walmart years ago but there are other styles to choose from that take up less room.
You’ll notice the jack isn’t in this photo and that’s because it’s screwed into the floorboard behind my seat and I didn’t want to take the time to take it out. Make sure you locate the jack in your car though!

Tool Set –As long as you have the bare necessities, you should be fine. I actually won these in a White Elephant game one Christmas years ago. Side tip: “guy” gifts for these exchanges are usually more fun to win. Another year I won a hunting knife set.

Tarp –Just plain handy to have for lots of situations. I haul things sometimes so this helps when it’s raining. On that note, having a good set of Tie-Down Straps is worth the money. Whether you have a truck or a car. If you need to get out fast, strap down what you need and book it.

Gloves –Unless you want to man-handle everything yourself, these are great to have…on hand.

Duct Tape & WD-40 –Or as they’re better known: the Ultimate Tools. These are the tools you keep within finding distance at all times because you never know and they’ll fix just about everything. There are plenty of uses for WD-40 that I learned while looking them up so I want to share with you!

Also a part of the tools section, we have a jumper cables kit:

I bought this set from Walmart a few years ago and have had to use it a few times helping friends out. Although, most recently I had to call a friend here in Ohio to give me a boost after my battery died at a state park. If he had been busy, I could have easily flagged someone down and gotten their help because I already had the cables.

Ladies, get the cables!

Doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to use them. Youtube the instructions or allow the person helping you out to attach the cables for you. Just get the kit!

It’s better to have them with you already than to flag down person after person for help who may or may not have them either.

Sure, you could call AAA or your insurance provider but it’s always better to have these ready to go.

On that note, I’d like to share four items that have been on my list to get for a while now:

• Jumper Cable Boost
• Portable Air Compressor
• Vehicle Fire Extinguisher
• Reflective Triangles

Like I mentioned before, I love road trips! But one thing that makes me nervous about them are the areas out west with nothing for miles.

The jumper cable boost and portable air compressor would be incredibly helpful for those times when something happens in the middle of nowhere and another living soul hasn’t driven by in quite a while.

Sure, these can be a little pricy but so worth it in the long run.

Cab Items:

These are the items that stay close by. Either in the glove compartment or just behind my seat.

• First Aid
• Map
• Cards –Entertainment for those times you have to wait.
• Emergency Toothbrush set
• Wet Wipes
• Poncho
• Glass Breaker –This tool stays in the pocket space of my door. I got it from Goodwill but here is a similar item on Amazon with good reviews. There are other smaller styles out there you can check out as well. The main concern is that you should be able to easily reach this item in an emergency situation, so put it somewhere close.
• Go on the Go sanitary set

The First Aid kits typically stay beneath or behind my seat because they are kind of bulky. The Red 2-Person Kit I’ve modified after having used it for so many years now and the Road Trippin’ kit is a new find from Walmart that I wanted to check out.

Fun & Games:

If something happens that you cannot fix and you’re waiting for help or a tow truck, having a few fun items in your emergency stash can help make all the difference between frustration and contentedly patient.

These are a few of the fun things I like to keep in my vehicle whether for every day or for road trips.

• ENO Hammock & Straps
• Frisbee
• Deck of cards
• Table Topics cards
• Uno set
• Hacky Sack –Because I’m a 90’s child and a small goal in my life is to actually be good at this game!

First Aid:

Okay. You’re welcome to say it. Won’t hurt my feelings.

I may or may not have gone a little overboard with first aid kits. Although, if you really think about it: is there such a thing to have “too many” medical supplies?

As you can see, there’s the Red 2-Person kit and the new Road Trippin’ kit that stay within reaching distance.

The other two are a bit more elaborate.

First off, there’s the Flex Tacmed Pouch from 5.11 Tactical.

A few years ago while living in Dallas, I attended a medical emergency class at a 5.11 store. This was during my time of CERT training and I wanted to gain more insight from those with military backgrounds.

At the time, the store sold a whole kit that fit inside the pouch but I can’t find that kit on the website anymore. I added the gloves, cold pack, and gauze pads.
*Side tip: something I learned in CERT was to only carry Latex-free gloves. Even if you’re not allergic, there is a chance the person you’re trying to help will have a reaction, which will create even more to problems to deal with.

Second is a random item that I cannot find anywhere on the web now. A Pandemic Protection Kit.

I haven’t had to use it yet so the bag is still unopened, but here’s what’s inside: Biohazard protection gown and headgear, gloves, goggles, biohazard waste bag, and a N95 mask.

Honorable Mentions:

A few items to keep on hand just in case:

• Flashlight or lantern
• Charger of some kind
• Sunscreen, Bug spray, After bite, etc.

Weather or Not:

Take into account not only what you like to keep on hand personally, but also the type of weather changes your area experiences.

I grew up in a state where winter happened maybe within the month of February and it usually didn’t stay for long. Even Christmas last year was in the 70’s and I wore sandals. Nevertheless, I always keep the blankets in my vehicle because they’re handy in any weather situation but have also been quite helpful when the car is taking a little long to warm up.

Now that I live in Ohio, I had to buy an Ice Scraper and Snow Brush. The Ice Scraper stays in my door pocket because it’s small enough.

Other items to keep on hand for winter:

• Gloves or Mittens
• Extra Socks
• Warm hat
• Bag of sand, road salt, or kitty litter
• Hand warmers
• Small shovel
• Extra snacks
• Traction mats if possible

What Are You Waiting For?

How does your list look now?

Anything on here you absolutely need to get today? Or, on the opposite side, anything you disagree with?

I’d love to hear from you and learn about any other items you’ve learned to keep on hand in your vehicle.

Comment below and subscribe so you don’t miss out on new blog posts!

One last thing I want to share: when I drove a car with an actual trunk, I used this Trunk Organizer. Highly recommend!

Or, you can also use plastic totes with lids that lock in place.

Ultimately, it all boils down to you and what you want to keep in your vehicle either at all times or rotate depending on the weather.

Overall, I hope you enjoyed making a new list with me today.

Until next time, Happy Prepping!